NewGas Energy Center

On December 16, 2008, ConocoPhillips and Peabody Energy filed for a state air permit to build a coal-to-natural gas facility in Muhlenberg County, at the same location that Peabody had wanted to build the Thoroughbred Generating Station. NewGas Energy Center would gasify coal and petroleum coke into natural gas. The Kentucky Division for Air Quality will take about 12 to 24 months to conduct the permit review process.

On April 6, 2009, the Sierra Club submitted comments on the air permit application that noted deficiencies and omissions contained in Kentucky Syngas's Modeling Report. As of May 2009, the Kentucky Department for Air Quality is reviewing the air permit application.

As of June, 2009, the Kentucky Division for Air Quality is finializing an internal draft for the permit. Updates can be found on the Division's webpage.

On December 15, 2009, ConocoPhillips and Peabody announced that Kentucky regulators had issued a draft air permit for the plant. A Peabody spokesperson said that the permit process will continue for another year, at which point the companies will review the project and evaluate the prospects for the long-term gas market. Construction will take about four years.

Project Details
Sponsor: ConocoPhillips, Peabody Energy Location: Muhlenberg County Capacity: Type: Coal-to-liquids Projected in service: 2014 Status: Permitting

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 * Coal plants cancelled in 2008
 * State-by-state guide to information on coal in the United States (or click on the map)